Rare circus discipline
Sway pole show
Performers sway and spin above the audience on two six-metre poles.
About the act
- Two 6 m poles
- Up to 2.5 m of sway
Nikolai first saw visiting performers on sway poles in Palace Square. It took him and his partner about a year to develop their own version. Each pole rotates and sways up to 2.5 m to the side. The artist’s original site describes it as a discipline performed by only a handful of troupes worldwide.
The show is available year-round, indoors or outdoors. In the interactive version, performers and guests toss soft balls to one another. Guest participation is discussed with the organiser.
Venue requirements
The team brings the equipment. Minimum venue clearance is 9 m. The kit weighs 120 kg and setup for both poles takes about 1 hr 40 min.
Gallery
Performance photos
Sway poles and stilt walkers
Sway pole duet
Sway poles at the Circus Valley festival
Sway poles at a festival in Yalta
The festival venue in Yalta
Preparing the equipment before the act
Rehearsal before the performance
Checking balance before the show
Assembling the equipment at the venue
Preparing the sway pole performance area
Two performers on sway poles
An outdoor sway pole performance
Balancing on a sway pole
Sway pole act in front of an audiencePerformance videos
Repertoire